The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-04-14
DEDICATED.
CantOn's New Temple of Education O'in
Clally Opened.
Magnificent Grafton Of Hon. John NC
Sweeney, of wOOster---Dr. Lew
slusser's Remlniscencesi Full
---The Other Particulars.

richly dressed girls 10 sung lne OpeuluR
number of the evening exercises. Hear
my Or yr, 0, Lord the Assembly Hall
was filad with QUE # the most repTesen
tstiva.audleuces Canton ever tuTnedO out
At 7:45 O'clock all the seats, almost eight
hundred In number, were til2d, ara
from that time forward the aisleS and
side rooms opening into thR hail beg II
filing nD with p.Opl so that by eight
O'Clock Over one thousand people we're
gathered to listen 10 the Interesting pro-
gram prepared for the evening aud clos
ing exercises OF the dedication OF Can
tons palatial educational e0lhce.
DIR sLUssER's ADDRESS.
DR.. Lewis Slusser wss presented by
President Dannemiller snd read the fol
ing exceedingly interesting historical
address of school "reminiscences OF Can
ton:
We meet here to day to commemorate
the completion Of this magnificent
school building The occasion may be
regarded an eVentful period in the
school history of CantOu. In the pro
gram of exercises, 1t has been made my
pleasing tgsF, to review the progress
made by our people In the work OF teach
ing "the young idea how TO shoot" and
though may not be able TO Invest the
subject with the rhetoric and elCquence
of the gifted orator who will follow me,
Twill endeavOr not to be prOssiG.
The founders of our government re-.
garded education rs the corner stone 0t
civil liberty. II was incorporated a.
component part of the civil policy OF
the nation. Before there was settle
ment of whites north Of the Ohio river,
and preparatory to the organization OF
the State of Ohio, the Continental Con
gress in an ordinance passed 1885, for
the survey of the land, it was provided
that section 16 Of every township be re
served for the maintenance Of pu0l!c
schools within t township.
II was made part Of the organic law
creating the State OF Ohio, that 'Telig
lon, morality ana knowledge, being
essentially necessary to good govern
ment ana the happiness Of mankind,
schools and the means Of education,
shall forever bs encouraged by legi7ia-
tive provision"
Aetuated ty ,hesa noble priDcipl .s,
the first settlers uf Canton, as soon a.
there were a sufficient number Of Ohii-
dren TO Justify, erected 4 log building
on the courthouse lo.. l. was 4 rude
structure--cl clap-b0ard roof, Windows
made ny saving out q section Of log
and covering the OpeniGg with creased
paper The door hung On wooden hinges,
the only fastening wooden lstch,
opening and closing by means of a
string. he seats and writing tables
were made of sisb3. T1e teacher wGs
A.dreW Johnson, from the State of Now
York. That was in the winter of 1913,
eighty years ago. A pupil Of that frat
school, and the only one living, is with
US to-day-Daniel DeWalt, now in the
88th year of his age.
As the time allotted to my address Is
short and limited to history of this
ground and the buildings that have been
erected thereon, | must necessarily bs
brief. Omittlng the mention of other
schools taught In town during the In
teTVal between the first already descrlb.
ed and the period when this lot was ia
ken possession of, would state, that the
quarter section Of land, Of which this
school lot Is part, was purchased from
the general Government by BeZaleel
Wells, of SteubenVille, In 1905, at $500
per acre. The year following he located
the town of Canton In anticipation of
securing the cOunty-seat of Stark, not
yet organized. He was liberal In do
mating lots to the town, among others
this lot which he had marked on the re-
corded plat, For an Academy" The
square Immediately opposite, on the
south, he gave for church. 1t was TAX
en- possession of by the GermanRefOrmed
and Lutheran congregation at thatltime,
and for many years subsequently, WOr-
shipping together, cons ituting the dom
inant religious organizations OF the
town and neighbOrhOod. They erected
q church and schOOl-hOuse on the same
lot. After occupying the ground for
nearly ten years, a majority OF the con-
gregation become dissatisfied with the
location, and, upon vote, 1t was decided
to abandon the lot and locate farther
east. Both buildings were sold, the
school house removed to the southeast
corner of this lot and continued as a
school house for some years. The teach
ers who occupied it and who are we'll re.
membered by grsy-haiT8d men and WO-
men now living, we're Bradley G. Good
will and George Lyman. This building
was again removed, and now staIts
upon the first lot east--the frame struc-
ture adjoining the brick.
James W. LathrOp, an early lawyer of
Canton, was warm friend of educa
tion. He represented Stark county In
the State Legislature, and bears the en-
Visble reputation of having been the
first man In the State, who advocated
the principle that the property of the
State should educate the children Of the
State; IN other words, he was the first
to advocate the idea Of free schools.
In 1923. movement was started by
several of the more enterDTising citi-
zens Of Canton, having for its object,
the erection of school building upon
this lOL-One commensurate with the
wants Of the people, aud the plan sug-
gested by the donor OF the lOt-some-
thing above the grade Of common
SCI O5 where the higher branches
would b. taught-tO be know and dssig-
mated an academy.
1t should Oe mentioned, that nOtwlth-
standing provision had been made by
law, looking to The accumulation OF q
fund for school purposes from it, moth
ing had yet been realized But few
school sections had been leased, and the
tenants of those were unable to ma Q
more than scant living; consequently.
were unable to pay any rent.
Under the circumstances the means
necessary to build the academy had to
be raised by voluntary contribution,
and as the passing years are fast oOlit-
Grating all KNOWLEDGE of our early set
tiers and their good de- ds, 1t is proper
on this occasion to give the names
Of those who contributed of their
means towards the construction Of this
academy: John Harris, VIM. Reynolds,
George Stidger, Thomas Hartford, JAS
w. Lathr0p, John Ssxton, VIM. FOgle,
Winans Clark, John Sterling, George
Dunbar. Phillip SIusser. VIM, Christmas.